As today is the beginning of a Festival to Divine Mother (see previous posting), thought it would be appropriate to post these photographs which I took some time ago at the Durga Shrine, Ramana Ashram. A devotee wished to donate a silver dress for the Goddess, and that entailed specialist craftsmen coming to the Ashram Temple Shrine and taking three separate moulds; the major one of the Body, and two individual moulds for the arms of the Goddess.
The photographs show the creation of the primary mould, which once set is taken off the form and allowed to fully dry. Afterwhich individual moulds are taken of the arms of the Goddess. Once all three moulds are fully dry, the craftsmen return to their native place and create the ordered silver dress for Sri Durga.
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| Temple Artisan to take Mould |
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| Material to make Mould |
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| Goddess Durga, Ramana Ashram |
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| The Goddess |
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| These men are specialists working with Idols |
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| Preparing the Paste for the Mould |
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| Covering the Statue for primary Mould |
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| Individual Moulds required for each Arm |
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| Primary Mould is set and left to fully harden |
The last photograph of this posting is of the Goddess Rajarajeshwari at her peace-filled shrine on the Girivalam Roadway, wearing her beautiful golden dress (which would have been prepared in the same way as above).
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| Goddess Rajareshwari in Golden Dress |
2 comments:
Quite fascinating! Thanks for the pics!
I have visited the Rajarajeshwari Temple on Girivalam Road, and think that the statue of the Goddess is the most beautiful icon of the Divine I have ever seen. She is alive. No doubt about it.
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